Gear Zone Premieres NLL Goalie Lids Showcase; First Up: Mike Poulin

The IL Gear Zone is stoked to launch our National Lacrosse League Goalie Lids Showcase, kicking off with Mike Poulin, the backstop of the West Division's Calgary Roughnecks. The Kitchener, Ont., native and seventh-year netminder is the first of the pro indoor goaltenders to be featured on the site, and this is probably some of the finest detail we've seen on a helmet in a long time — maybe the best ever.

Mike's helmet and the outstanding artwork are the creation of Olie Sports, a Canadian company that specializes in hockey and lacrosse goalie equipment — most notably goalie helmets and custom airbrush artwork. Artist Jay Plant, an Olie Sports factory certified painter, hooked Mike up with this Batman-themed design, which features images of Batman and the Joker as the characters appeared in the most recent take on the famous DC Comics series, directed by Christopher Nolan.

The right side of the helmet features a very serious Batman with a flock of bats fluttering toward the top of the lid, while the left features the Joker (RIP Heath Ledger) with "Ha Ha Ha" in red repeated across that side, capturing the insanity of the villain. The Bat Symbol appears on the front part of the chin, with Poulin's jersey #30 in the center of the icon. On the back piece of the helmet is the Scotiabank Saddledome and the Calgary skyline, but with a Gotham City feel — dark and spooky. The rear panel also bears the slogan "This Is My House" in front of the Batman crest, which appears on the chest of the superhero's outfit.

And of course, the front top part of the helmet features a perfectly done Calgary Roughnecks logo, looking incredibly vivid and sharp.

"I've never been a comic book guy, but I've always loved Batman back from the original movie with Michael Keaton," says Poulin, the MVP of the OLA's Major Series Lacrosse in 2008. "When talking to the guys at Olie about what we wanted to do with this helmet, they asked me what my favorite movie was and it's the Dark Knight, so we went with the theme. I usually try to get something custom about the team I'm on or something I like. Past helmets have had a Martin Brodeur theme, a Band of Brothers theme and a Toronto skyline. This one is by far the best work I've seen on a helmet."

Take in the images of this amazing helmet and be sure to check back with the Gear Zone, as we'll be featuring more helmets in the NLL Goalie Lids Showcase. And for all your box and indoor lacrosse coverage, stay tuned to ILIndoor.com.